A new type of building foundation offered by a Gig Harbor company demonstrates you don’t have to dig a large hole to get the job done.

Pin Foundations Inc. manufactures a system that can anchor a home by driving steel poles into the soil, disturbing as little of the ground as possible. They call it Low Impact Foundation Technology, or LIFT.

“Making the most minimal first impression on the site, the L.I.F.T. system leaves the existing patterns of surface and ground-water flow undisturbed, allowing the soils to continue to absorb and process rainwater the way they always have,” the company Web site states.

Two of the few limitations are that it cannot be used on slopes over 10 percent or soil with large rocks.

Depending on the audience, there’s a different reaction to the idea of sticking pins into the ground. Richard Gagliano, president of Pin Foundations, said he’s talked to many groups involved in the housing industry, from real estate companies, banks and architects to civil engineers, developers, builders and permitting agencies.

“The most skeptical are the builders,” he said. “I don’t think they think it’s a bad idea but they’re tied into the repetitive nature of the business, which helps make money.”

Builders get training to install the LIFT foundation. Still, other groups have been more willing to find out what’s going on. Those who fill subdivisions and construct many homes at once are most likely to benefit.

“Developers are on board, they can see it saves money,” he said. “Still, they’re waiting. Those who issue permits and help others through that process are the most excited. I make calls now and people have heard of us and feel they need to catch-up on what we offer so they can make their clients aware of all the possibilities.”

The company has just helped with its first Habitat for Humanity house in Vaughn on the Key Peninsula. With the Habitat for Humanity idea of sweat equity behind him, Gagliano wants to reach those skeptical builders and others looking to make house construction less expensive.

“Where we’re headed next with this is fully pre-cast foundations,” Gagliano said, “where we can ship out a foundation in pieces and have it possibly installed in one day.”

Pin Foundations also offers similar technology for putting walkways on sensitive lands in parks or other areas.

The 10-year-old company has continued to obtain certification from municipalities and counties. It has Pierce County’s blessing now. Gagliano said the company is now looking for national certification for the walkways and the foundations after slowly branching out into Winslow, Lacey and Olympia.

“We’ve always been for marketing and manufacturing,” he said. “It was always planned to necklace out to other jurisdictions.”

(For more information on the Pin Foundations go to www.pinfoundations.com, e-mail pinfound@pinfoundations.com or call 253-858-8809.).